Jonas Gerard on Letting Go
by Melissa Puritis

Letting go: a concept both so easy to grasp and so terrifying that many of us never even bother to explore the notion. Nationally known artist Jonas Gerard, on the other hand, lives by it.

Influenced by such artists as Willem DeKooning, Franz Kline and Jackson Pollock, Gerard has been a part of the Impressionist abstract movement for decades. Gerard creates works of mixed media, sculpture, representational pieces, and landscapes, but the true heart of his work is his abstraction. “Mixed media is fun and has more general appeal, but abstracts carry the most amount of pure creative energy,” explains Gerard.

Abstracts receive very strong reactions; people either respond or they simply don’t. Some criticize abstract art, commenting that children could do it. And they can. Gerard acknowledges that the concept of being free is what children do naturally. The basic formula for this kind of “letting-go” painting experience is to somehow get back to that free state of purity and innocence. It’s quite a challenge for the adult painter. Abstract art is all about feeling and not thinking, a lack of control that some can’t handle. Those who can find the beauty and energy that radiate from Gerard’s work.

Not even a recent knee surgery slows down Gerard’s energetic passion for art, which began when he received his first paint set at eight, living in Casablanca, French Morocco. Developing technique and composition on his own, he copied images his mother, an embroiderer, supplied him with: pictures, photographs, magazine advertisements, and, of course, pictures of the Impressionist masters such as Renoir and Gauguin. Gerard painted at every opportunity. Since the age of 16, he has been exhibiting, displaying and selling art on the streets of New York. At 13, Gerard took the journey to America with his mother and sister, making sure to stay awake until 5:00 a.m. for a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty. Even 50 years later, he seeks to create and symbolize freedom: the freedom to express without confinement, censorship, or hesitation. Despite being rejected from every art school he sought admittance to, Gerard continued to paint.

Decades later, he has become a mentor and friend to any artist seeking guidance or refuge from him. “As a role model, it is important for me to maintain the responsibility to be as free and as fearless as possible. Free of my own judgment, criticism and comparison that would interfere with the creative process,” states Gerard.

What seems to be Gerard’s guiding force? 40 years of meditation have taught him the ability to accept and trust his own intuition. His work is what he calls “process-oriented, not result-oriented, or pre-planned or preconceived. Even in my landscapes, I have some plan, but mine are untraditional… I transform them into what feels right to me. A blue tree, a yellow mountain, a red sky. I have a whole bunch of tricks up my sleeve.”

So what advice does Gerard give artists and audiences that come in search of inspiration? He explains that in order to be truly successful, a life process of letting go must be adopted. “You really have to be free of anger, resentment, fear, anxiety…you can’t paint freely if you’re always trying to look good or always in need of approval from others. These are the things that block the creative process. The process of letting go of this life baggage that we all carry is the way to begin the process of painting freely” encourages Gerard. "It’s a huge responsibility to be an artist."

After spending decades in South Florida, about two years ago, Gerard made the move to Asheville, NC’s River Arts District. He explains, “I think the universe knew I needed to move on to a place where my work could flourish and would be more accepted…I felt like my time was up in Miami.” And because he was going all over the country for exhibitions, Gerard sought a new, more centrally located home. His daughter, Mira, an art professor at East Tennessee State University, suggested the area and “within a half hour I knew it was my home. It welcomed me. The abundance of galleries, outdoor cafes, the people, the mountains all around, and the
lack of McDonald’s, Burger King, Victoria’s Secret… it was very appealing to me.”

After some efforts in locating the right space, his current location became available in the very heart
of the River Arts District. Gerard transformed the 5000 sq. ft. space, originally designed as a factory with a truck loading dock, into an art gallery and studio for himself and Linda, also a painter and a photographer. The large studio is always open to the public, and people are welcomed to watch his spontaneous painting process live as it occurs.

“I put on some high tempo music - jazz, rock, Afro Cuban, flamenco or big band happy music, and let the brush move as though I were a spontaneous musical conductor. “ He allows the colors to fight for his attention, sometimes painting or sometimes splashing them on to the canvas, and watches the painting evolve. Sometimes it seems difficult to decipher who is in control of the painting: Gerard, the music, or the brush. His energy becomes contagious, leaping off the canvas and affecting his viewers.

“Asheville gave me the outer and inner space to courageously express myself. When I dare myself to do it in front of an audience, the painting performance comes alive and everyone can feel the joy, relief and the energy from letting go on the canvas.”

According to Gerard, a good representation of his creative energy is a large triptych that he titled Return of Romance. Beginning with no particular intention and using bright, vibrant colors, he set out to paint this 144” canvas “because the canvas was so large that I was able to dance with the music and create gestural velocity,” says Gerard. Hues of reds and oranges dominate the canvas; their angles and application looking fierce like the waves of an ocean. Despite this fierceness, the colors are soothing and inviting. Gerard describes this particular painting performance that took place at the opening of a one-man exhibition in a Dallas gallery as “a wonderful experience”.

Another piece that embodies Gerard’s creative energy is After Sunset, a representational landscape. Gerard describes it as a “very delicious looking, simple mountain scene. The whole idea was to allow the colors to determine the shape of the scene.” He did not rely on a picture to create his piece; the painting just happened by itself, claims Gerard. Again, bright colors illuminate the canvas; the sky is a scorching red off set by the purple of the mountains, reminiscent of hot and cold, or push and pull.

A similar piece is entitled Reconnecting. “It makes a lot of sense and no sense,” jokes Gerard, though he is correct in his statement. What seem to be emerging moons hide behind lines of white and grey. This piece is limited to earth tones, but still has “activity and action; very exciting.”

Recently the Asheville Area Arts Council named Gerard Artist of the Year due to his artistic excellence, community service, and mentoring abilities that truly set a standard - not just for artists, but for all of us. “We are here on this planet to move forward and to clean up our lives…Creative energy is a powerful thing. One brush stroke free of baggage shines, illuminates, radiates, brings smiles to people’s faces. This is what painting is all about."

For more information on his work or upcoming events, visit Gerard at www.jonasgerard.com or at his studio,
Jonas Gerard Fine Art in Asheville, 240 Clingman Ave.

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